Latch.



H. WEIDE.

LATCH.

APPLICATlON FILED MAY '2. 1914- 1,137,818. 7 Patented May 4,1915.

I" .1. 5 y [i 2.

' v0 /20 I/ABJ d 3 g III! NORRIS PE rEleb CO PHOTO 1.! rr/ WASHINGTON, u. L.

uNrrnn STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

HANS WEIDE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO OSWALD LoRENz;

' or NEW YORK, N. Y.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HANS WnIDE, a citi zen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, fully de-- scribed and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to an improved latch, adapted for use as a fastening device for boxes, trunks, bags, doors, and the like, the especial object of the invention being to provide a simple and efficient construction in which the automatic fastening operation of the latch shall be assured without the use of weights or springs for controlling the arts.

A further object of the invention is to prevent accidental unlatching.

For a full understanding of the invention a detail description of constructions embodying the same will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating the invention as applied in the preferred forms, and the features forming the invention then specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a box and cover provided with the latching device. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking to the left. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking to the right. Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts in different position. Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a box with flush cover showing a modified form of latch. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6 looking to the left. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 8 looking to the right. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the parts in unlatched position.

Referring to the drawings and now especially to Figs. 1 to 5, A is the box and B the hinged cover. The box A carries a latch block 10 shown as inclined on its front side, and on which is pivotally mounted the inclined latch plate 11, this latch plate having pivot 1, and preferably having its movement in both directions limited by stop 2 in the catch block entering a slot in latch plate 11. One end of the latch plate 11 forms the latch proper a, and the other end, on the opposite side of pivot 1, forms a lock mg abutment 3, and the latch plate is preferably provided with a finger piece 1 for rocking the latch plate by hand.

The coverB carries catch plate 12, having two arms 13, 14:, the arm 13 carrying catch proper Z) formed with an incline 5. The arm 14, which forms the locking arm, carries the trip 6 which engages the abutment end 3 of latch plate 11, to rock the latch plate during the latching movement, and preferably has an inclined surface as shown, so as to prevent the trip being moved upward with the cover by the rocking of the latch plate 11, so that the cover with the trip 6 must be raised independently of but simultaneously with the rocking of latch plate 11 to permit the rocking movement of the latter.

The operation of the construction in latch- Patenteol May 4, 1915.

ing and unlatching will be understood from a brief description in connection with the drawings.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the box is closed, and latched by latch a on latch plate 11 setting over the incline 5 on catch 7), and the latch plate is locked in position to prevent unlatching by abutment 3 bearing against the higher portion of the incline 6 on arm 14:. For unlatching, the latch plate 11 is rocked by finger piece 4: from the position shown in Figs. 1 to 3 to that shown in Figs. 4: and 5, and at the same time the cover B is raised to permit this movement of the latch plate, which movement releases the latch a from the catch 6. Two movements are necessary for unlatching, therefore, the rocking of the latch plate 11 and the simultaneous raising of the boX cover, so that accidental unlatching is avoided. In latching, on closing the box, the arm 13 with latch a and arm 14 with trip 6 move downward, and trip 6, by engagement with abutment 3 on the end of V the latch plate 11, rocks the latch plate from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Figs. 1 to 3, so as to move the latch a over the incline 5 of catch 6, and at the end of-the movement the upper portion of the incline on trip 6 comes into position to act as a stop to prevent the rocking of latch plate 11, except as the cover is raised.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6 to 10, the box 0 has a hinged cover D closing V flush into the top of the box, and the latch plate 15 having an inclined end forming latch 0, is hung in pivots 7 in standards 16 on the box, and is provided with'stops 8 on opposite sides of the standards for limit; ing the movement of the latch in opposite directions, one of thesestops 8, also, forming' a finger piece for moving the latch by hand. a I

'The cover Dcarries a catch plate 17 having twoarms 18, 19 at opposite ends of the latch plate 15, arm 18 having an inclined endforming catch (Z, and arm'19 havingits end 9 extending over the other end of the latch plate 15 on the opposite side of the pivot from latch 0, so as to form a trip in connection with this abutment end of the latch'plate.

The operation of this construction, in latching and unlatching, is as follows: As shown in Figs. 6 to 9, the box is closed and latched, with the latch c on the box held by catch d, on the cover. For unlatching, the latch plate 15 is moved by finger piece 8 from the position shown in Fig. 7, to that shown in Fig. 10, thus releasing the latch 0 from catch (Z. For this movement of the latch plate 15, the cover D must be raised, either by hand thus requiring two simultaneous movements, or with the construction shown, the abutment end of the latch plate '15 by engagement with the trip 9 may be arranged to raise the cover D by the rocking of the latch plate, which may be desirable in some cases.

In closing the box, the cover and latch parts are returned to the position shown in Fig. 10, when trip 9 by engagement with the abutment end of the latch plate 15 rocks" the latch plate during the final closing move-' ment of the box, and the parts are thus returned to the position shown in Fig. 7, in which the latch c is engaged by catch d and locked by trip 9. 7

It will be understood that the invention is not to'be limited to the exact forms or arrangements of parts illustrated, but that many modifications may be made within'the invention defined by the claims. 7

What is claimed is. 1. The combination with a pivoted latch plate having on opposite sides of its pivot an inclined'latch and an abutment surface, r of: a catch plate carrying a catch, said latch and catch havingco-acting latching surfaces inclined in the line of latching and unlatch- 'ing movement and reversed in direction to Copies of this patent may be'obtained for the trip.

the latch into latching engagement with the catch and hold the latch in position to prevent unlatching except by the simultaneous rocking of the latch plate and movement of 2. The combination with a pivoted latch plate having on opposite sides of its pivot an inclined latch and an abutment surface, of a catch plate carrying a catch, said latch and catch having co-acting latching surfaces inclined in the line of latching and unlatchingmovement and reversed in direction to lock the parts together when the inclined surfaces are in contact, and a trip-carried by the catch plate and having an inclinedsurface engaging the abutment surface on V the catch plate to move the latch into latching engagement with the catch and hold the latch in position to prevent unlatching except by the simultaneous rocking of the latch plate and movement of ,thetrip, the

inclined surface on the trip being'such as to prevent the movement of the trip by the rocking of the latch plate. I

3. The combination with latch plate 11, having pivot 1, and inclined latch a and abutment surface 3 on opposite sides of the pivot,of catch arm 13 carrying catch 5 having inclined surface 5 c'o-acting with latch a, and arm 14 forming a trip engaging abutment surface 3' to rock the latch into and hold it in latching position.

4. The combination with latch plate 11, having pivot 1, and inclined latch a and abutment surface 3 on opposite sides of the pivot, and means for limiting the movement of the latch plate in opposite directions, of catch arm 13 carrying catch Z) having inclined surface 5 co-acting with latch a, and

' arm '14 carrying trip 6"having an inclinedsurface engaging abutment surface 3 and acting tohold the latch plate against un latching movement except when the trip is moved simultaneously with but independently of the rocking of the latch plate. f

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, Witnesses:

' A. WHITE,

C. J. SAWYER.

e s Wmnn; 

